The Brookhaven leader., 1887-10-13
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
An Interesting Discourse on tho
Nobility of True Abnegation.
Christs Amazing Sacrifice for the Sake
of Fallen Humanity-Tho Poverty OF
Earthly Riches Compared with
the Heavenly Reward.

Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage took for the
subject of a recent discourse at the
Brooklyn Tabernacle ''The Nobility of
True Abnegation," his text being:
We know the grace Of our Lord Jesus Christ
that, though he was rich. yet for your sales he
became poor.-II COrinth ans, viii, g.
DIR. Talmage said: That all the worlds
which ON cold winters night make the
heavens one great glitter are inhabitant-
less is an nhsurdity. Philosophers tell us
that many of these worlds are too hot or
too cold, or too rarfied of atmosphere for
residence. But if not fit for human abode,
they may be fit for beings different from
and superior to ourselves. We are told
that the world of Jupiter is changing until
it is almost fit for creatures like the
human race, and that Mars would do for
the human family, with a little change in
I the structure of the respiratory organs.
But that there is vast world swung
somewhere, vast beyond Imagination,
and that it is the headquarters of the
! universe, and the metropolis of immen-
! sity, and has population in numbers
/ vast beyond all statistics, and appoint
ments of splen1Or beyond the capacity
! of canvas, or poem, or angel to describe, is
as certain as the Bible is authentic. Per-
| haps some OF the astronomers with their
| big telescopes have already caught a
| glimpse of it, not knowing what it is. We
| spell it with six letters, and pronounce it
| Heaven.
That is where Prince Jesus lived nine-
teen centuries ago. He was the Kings son,
1t was the I'D homestead of eternity, and
all its castles were as old as God. Not a
T,,r Ill ...r,f ~ 4I,, too
had ever rolled down the cheek of one of
its inhabitants. There had never been in
it headache, ar q sideache, or heart
ache. There had never been a funeral ig
the memory Of the oldest inhabitant.
/ There had neverin all the land been woven
black vail, for there had never be any
thing 10 mourn over. The passage Of
millions of years had not wrinkied or
crippled or h"dmmed any Of its citizens.
All the peoply there were in a state OF
eternal adolescence. Whats floral and
pomotic richness, Gardens of perpetual
bloom and orchards in unending fruitage.
Had some spirit from another
world entered and asked; "What is
SIN? what is bereavement? what is
sorrow? what is DEATH" the brightest of
the intelligences would have failed to give
definition, though to study the question
there were silence in Heaven for half an
hour. The Prince of whom | spoke had
hOnors, emoluments, acclamationS, such
as no other prince, celestial or terrestrial,
ever enjoyed. AS He passed the street,
the inhabitants took off from their brows
garlands of white lilies and threw them in
the way. He never entered any of the
temples without all the worshipers risin :
up and bowling in obedience. In all the
professions of the high days He was the
one who evoked the loudast welcome.
Sometimes on foot, walking in loving talk
with the humbest of the land, but at 9TH
er times He took chariot, and among the
10000 that David spoke of His was the
swftest and most flaming; or, as when
John described Him, he took whito pal
frey, with what prance of foot, and arch
of neck, and roll of name, and CLEAN of
eye, is only dimly suggested in the
Apocalypse. He was not like 9th
er princes, waiting for the Father
to die and then take the throne.
When, a few years ago, an artist
in Germany made picture for the Royal
Gallery, representing Emperor William on
the throne and the Crown Prince as hav-
ing one foot on the step of the throne,
Emperor William ordered the picture
his foot off the throne till leave it."
Already euthroned was the Heavenly
Prince side by side with the Father.
What circle of dominion! What myr-
midons of admirers! What unending
round of glories! All the towers chimed
the Princes praises. OF all the in
habitants, from the center of the city on
over the hills and clea" down to the
beach against the ocean of immensity
rolls its pillows. the Prince was the
acknowledged favorite. No wonder my
text says that
He was rich.
Set all the diamonds of the earth in one
sceptre, build all the palaces of the earth
in one alhambra, gather all the pearls of
the sea in one diadem, put all the values
of the earth in one coin, the aggre-
gate would not express his atiluence.
Yes, Paul was right Solomon had
in gold f6S0,000,000 and in silver Gl,029,-
000,377. But greater than Solomon is
here. Not the millionaire, but the quad
Millionaire of Heaven. To describe His
celestial surroundings the Bible uses all
colors, gathering them in rainbow over
the throne and setting them as agate in
the temple window, and hoistng twelve
of them into a wall from striped jasper at
the base to transparent amethyst in the
capstone, while between are green of
emerald, and snow of pearl, and blue Of
sapphire, and yellow of topaz, and gray
of chrysoprasus, and flame of iacnth. All
the loveliness of landscape in foliage, and
river, and rill, and all enchantment
aquamarne, the sea of glass mingled with
fire as the sun sinks in the Mediterranean.
All the thrill of music, instrumental and
vocal, harps, trumpet, dOXologieS. There
stood the Prince, surrounded by those
who had under their wings the velocity
of millions Of miles in a second, rich in
love, rich in alteration, rich in power, rich
in worship, rich in holiness, rich as God.
But one day there was big disaster in
department of Gods universe. race
fallen! A world in ruins Our planet the
scene of catastrophe A globe swinging
out into darkness, with mountains, and
seas, and islands, an awful centrifugal of
sin seeming to overpower the beautiful
centripetal of Righteousness, and from it
a groan reached Heaven. Such sound
had never been heard there. Plenty of
sweet sounds, but never an outcry of dis
tress, or an echo of agony. At that one
groan the Prince rose from all the blissful
circumstances, and started for the outer
gate, and descended into the night of this
world. Out of what bright harbor into
what rougessa
"Stay with So" cried angel after angel,
and potentate atuer potentate.
NO." said the Prince; 81 can not stay;
must be off for that wreck of a world.
must stop that groan. l must hush that
distress. Imust fathom that way. must
redeem those nations. Farewell,